I always have couples asking me if they should do a first look on their wedding day. If you are unsure what a first look is it's when a bride and groom see each other before the ceremony. You get to meet in a private location and have an intimate moment with your significant other It sometimes creates for more emotional images as a groom may not be embarrassed to shed a tear alone in front of his wife whereas at the church he may try to hold his tears in so he doesn’t get embarrassed. It is also a time when the bride and groom can calm their nerves too and enjoy the rest of the day. An easier way to answer the question to have a first look or not is do you want to stay as traditional as possible or not? It really is a personal preference in the end. One great thing about having the first look is with my clients first looks usually last around 15-20 minutes with just the bride and groom and we end up creating some amazing images as both the bride and groom are on cloud nine with seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day. Once we are done with just the bride and groom then usually wedding party and family will come along to do their photos. If you end up doing this route and taking all your pictures before the ceremony it in the end allows you to enjoy the rest of your day with your guests and socialize with everyone else who is important in your life. While you are doing this we are going around taking photos of you hanging out with old friends or doing details of the cocktail hour and every other detail that is important on your wedding day. Here is a quote from a previous bride on the importance of a first look …

We did a first look and it was the best decision ever. I was so beyond emotional and not thinking straight and the only person that can calm me down is him, so it was so great seeing him before going down the aisle and he had the best reaction ever! I wouldn’t change a single thing